By Holly Hargett
The 20th annual Writers in Paradise gives aspiring writers a chance to hone their skills in a week-long workshop-based conference working with other writers and successful authors Jan.13-20 at Eckerd College. The conference is private, but the evening readings are free and open to the public at Miller Auditorium. A half-hour before the readings, you can enjoy wine and book browsing and after the readings conclude, you’ll be able to meet the authors and have your books signed. Guest parking is available on campus. For more information, visit www.writersinparadise.com or call 727-241-2802.
P.S. A big shout out to our spectacular Paradise News copy editor and events guru Buddy Baker, who has a hard-to-earn space at this year’s Writers in Paradise to develop his writing project for publication. Congratulations, Buddy!
1/13 @8 p.m Keynote speaker Suleika Jaouad, bestselling author of “Between Two Kingdoms,” is creator of the Isolation Journals, a global project formed during the COVID-19 pandemic to foster creativity in isolation.
1/14@7pm Ana Menéndez, a prolific author, associate FIU professor and award-winning journalist, has published five fiction books. Stewart O’Nan has penned 18 novels, including his most recent novel “Ocean State.” Teaming up with Stephen King, he co-authored “Faithful,” a nonfiction narrative about the 2004 Boston Red Sox and collaborated on the short story, “A Face in the Crowd.” Luis Alberto Urrea, a distinguished writer and Guggenheim Fellow, has authored 18 acclaimed books, receiving numerous awards for his poetry, fiction, and essays. Currently a distinguished professor of creative writing at the University of Illinois-Chicago, his latest novel is titled “Good Night, Irene.”
1/15@7pm Madeleine Blais, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, has taught writing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and served as the director of the Williston Writer’s Workshop Series for 19 years. Currently, she contributes to The National Book Review, and her upcoming biography of tennis player Alice Marble, “Queen of the Court,” has received acclaim in a starred pre-publication review from Publisher’s Weekly. Andre Dubus III, a New York Times bestselling author, was a National Book Award finalist. His novel, House of Sand and Fog, was adapted into an Academy Award-nominated film. With numerous accolades, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and the National Magazine Award for Fiction, Dubus is also a Professor of English at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Helen Pruitt Wallace, a St. Petersburg native and Professor Emeritus of Creative Writing at Eckerd College, served as the city’s Poet Laureate from 2016 to 2022. Known for her award-winning poetry collection “Shimming the Glass House” and her role in founding Poetry at the Dalí, she has also been honored with the Florida Book Award and has contributions in various literary publications.
1/16@7pm Bestselling author Ann Hood has garnered awards such as two Pushcart Prizes and multiple Best American Writing Awards. In addition to her memoirs, Hood has recently published “Fly Girl,” a memoir about her time as a TWA flight attendant, and a young adult novel, “Clementine.” Jennifer Maritza McCauley, a writer and assistant professor at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, has earned acclaim for her works and is set to release her second poetry collection, “Kinds of Grace,” in 2024.
1/18@7pm Laura Lippman, a celebrated New York Times best-selling novelist with 23 novels, major crime fiction literary prizes. Her 2019 novel, “Lady in the Lake,” is in production at AppleTV. Gloria Muñoz, an advocate for multilingual literacy, earned recognition for her poetry book “DANZIRLY” and is St. Petersburg’s poet laureate. St. Pete resident Sterling Watson is an acclaimed author of nine novels, including his newest “Night Letter.” He is the co-founder of the Writers in Paradise Conference and a teacher in the Solstice MFA Program at Lasell University.
1/19@7pm Denise Duhamel, a distinguished poet and FIU professor earned a finalist spot for “Blowout” from the National Book Critics Circle Award. Beyond poetry. Michael Koryta, a New York Times-bestselling author with 18 novels and winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Conference director Les Standiford, author of 25 books, has received acclaim for non-fiction works like “Last Train to Paradise” and novels (John Deal mystery series). He is the Founding Director of the Creative Writing Program at Florida International University and is the Peter Meinke Chair in Creative Writing at Eckerd.
1/20@8pm Jonathan Escoffery, author of the acclaimed debut story collection “If I Survive You.” His forthcoming novel, “Play Stone Kill Bird,” and his story collection will be published internationally. Escoffery has also taught creative writing and founded the Boston Writers of Color Group.